I need some advice.

[ramblingrose]

I'm currently applying to grad schools, however, medical school has been in my sights for many years. I'm having a difficult time on deciding what to do: my plan was to go to grad school, finish and work so I can save money/pay off my loans. Then, do my prereqs and apply to med school. Unfortunately, time is not on my side, I'm 32 as I type this and if I do go through with my aforementioned plan, I'm going to be quite over the hill when I finish med school. If I just go straight into a post bacc. program instead of grad school, I'll still be pushing it as I'll be 44 when I'm done with my residency. If everything works out, that is. But, if I do that, I'll be risking more debt. I'm in a better position than most non-traditional since I am single and have no kids or dependents. I don't know what to do, I've already wasted much time and need to get my act together.

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[Law2Doc]

The days of retiring at 50 ended decades ago. If you keep yourself healthy you can work into your late 60s-80s, and so starting a career at 44 isn't that absurd. (And actually you will be a doctor doing what you want to do for a salary during residency so I would look at the career as alteady starting there). Lots of people on ghis board are geezers. Twenty years at a career you love may not be as good as 40, but it's a lot better than 0.

 

[Porcn]

I am assuming you mean that you are planning to do a PhD in the basic medical sciences. If that is the case, I would very strongly discourage you from doing so with the intention of then applying to medical school. You are not guaranteed to graduate from that program at all, much less on the schedule that you would like to graduate. Additionally, if you are not getting along with your research mentor you will be unable to get a good LOR from them which could by itself sink your chances of getting into medical school independent of the quality of your application. Graduate school is full of setbacks and as soon as you hit one you will feel trapped. If you are very much interested in a PhD then you should only do one if you can get into an MSTP program, then you won't have to worry about your graduate school experiences excessively delaying or torpedoing your medical training.

 

[futuremdforme]

Grad school's not a great financial plan either. What's your background? How realistic is med school for you, and how is your financial situation? (What are you giving up, how comfortable are you with debt, are you okay with living with less for longer?)

 

[Goro]

44? Just a baby! Some of my all time best students have been in there 30s and 40s. Last year I graduated one at 50.

I'm currently applying to grad schools, however, medical school has been in my sights for many years. I'm having a difficult time on deciding what to do: my plan was to go to grad school, finish and work so I can save money/pay off my loans. Then, do my prereqs and apply to med school. Unfortunately, time is not on my side, I'm 32 as I type this and if I do go through with my aforementioned plan, I'm going to be quite over the hill when I finish med school. If I just go straight into a post bacc. program instead of grad school, I'll still be pushing it as I'll be 44 when I'm done with my residency. If everything works out, that is. But, if I do that, I'll be risking more debt. I'm in a better position than most non-traditional since I am single and have no kids or dependents. I don't know what to do, I've already wasted much time and need to get my act together.

 

[JordanAbdo]

I agree with law2doc. I think for studies age should never matter and you are just 44. It's really not a big deal. I have seen my uncle getting graduated at the age of 48. Still he wants to study further. Infact I have read many blogs over such things on droit social. Here the writer stated that its the social right of everybody to gain knowledge at any age. If you stay healthy then you can do anything even at the age more then 80 years.

 

[Ostallopathic]

44? Just a baby! Some of my all time best students have been in their 30s and 40s. Last year I graduated one at 50.

ftfy

 

[esob]

I'll be 44 when I start medical school. I can really even imagine retiring, so I'll pretty much just work til I die